Hello

Well that was unexpected...

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Guess Who?

A long time ago in a land with varying distances to my readers, a man had a dream. A dream to produce some of the most visually stunning and creative movies ever to be thought of. He got his chance by chance eventually and soon after set the standards for what "good" is in his genres. His breakthrough motion pictures had captivated many hearts and did for one man in particular who would change everything. These two men soon worked together to bring these films to everyone thus launching a man and his studio to greater heights. For the next decade, this man's simple dream became a world-wide phenomenon.

Who is this man? Have you guessed yet dear reader? I'll give you a hint: Studio Ghibli.

The answer: Mr. Hayao Miyazaki. His wonderful anime films such as My Neighbor Totoro delighted audiences in Japan but never quite reached the West. It wasn't until legendary Pixar film director John Lasseter put quality time into translating the excellent Spirited Away for us Americans that he became truly known world-wide. Since then, almost every one of his films since My Neighbor Totoro has been translated into English as well as many others.

I mentioned Mr. Miyazaki in today's post because this year marks Totoro's 25th anniversary (April 16, 1988 ). I do not consider myself a crazy fan of anime but I do enjoy watching it and especially love the fan-made art work posted on DeviantArt. Another one of Miyazaki's films, Kiki's Delivery Service, that sparked my interest in anime as a kid. To be honest though, after that I had never seen another of his movies. I would always see the commercials or see people cosplay as certain characters. I knew the names of the movies but never got the chance to see any of them.....until I got into college! My girlfriend and I have officially begun the hunt for Miyazaki's movies. Each one of his movies is a classic but you would not believe how hard it is to get one! Bookstore chains, electronic stores, and finally the internet have been our hunting ground and I'm proud to say we have claimed three classics to our collection:

Next we are hoping to get Kiki! It is amazing to see how much imagination this grown man has; truly a grown up who never grew up. Do you have a personal favorite of Miyazaki's movies? Have you ever seen one? (I highly encourage you do!) I would love to hear your voice in the comments! Well I'm off to watch Howl's Moving Castle and finally find out who "Calcifer" is. Have an excellent upcoming week!